The Raven King
by SanityJinx
Summary: On the darkest day of the year a great raven flew into Lord Phantomhive's manor with a request. He wanted his seventh child in exchange for eternal wealth and prosperity for the family. SebCiel AU
1. Prologue

_**A/N:**__ This is my first story on fanfiction so I'm curious to see how all you lovelies will take it. The idea is roughly based off of the Norwegian tale 'The Polar Bear King' or 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon'. If you don't know that shit, look it up. It's a personal favorite of mine because the heroine isn't a whiny bitch who needs her ass saved. Hell she saves his. Anyway enough of my rambling, read the stuff below- it's better than listening to me._

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**Prologue**

It began the day of Claude's first journey to the realm of the living. Even amiss his usual stoic air, he had still managed to find a trickling of joy that would forever find a way to take root in his stony heart. It was a feeling Claude outwardly loathed, but secretly embraced. It was the needing, the knowing that he must have it or he would surely parish.

The other was just a young teen then. A rather handsome child that had striking features even for a mortal human. Claude was mesmerized with the other, as the mortal child laughed and rough housed happily with the others. There was an innocence in him that was missing in his own kind, something that seemed to make the feeling in Claude's heart swell larger at the sight of.

The children scrambled up the rocky face of the hill at which he sat at the peak of. The boy at the head, smirking in triumph when he took the lead. Another boy reached up and shoved him down, both taking the tumble back towards the dip in the earth as the other children paused in their scrambling to laugh at the sight.

Claude watched with ageless eyes as the boy stood up with rumpled clothes boasting dark splotches of green and moonshine pale skin stained with crimson patches at the palms and knees. The droplets of blood were quickly forgotten as ruby eyes shimmered mischievously before the boy turned and tackled the other back to the ground for a bout of wrestling.

That is when it took hold of him like a beast in the night. The breath of wanting, of craving nothing more than the boy he saw before him. It was a desire akin to obsession and all Claude knew was that he'd have him.

And so he did.

Not then, not that day, but later.

- _XxxX -_

Those handsome ruby eyes were the same as they had been all those years ago, yet different in a way. They no longer held the innocence that they once had sparkled with, but that did not serve to diminish their beauty in his eyes. Even with the unbridled fury burning within their endless depths they were still captivating.

The boy had grown into a handsome young man and Claude couldn't have been more than pleased with the outcome of the male that now stood before him. Even in comparison to their kind, the male stood his own and attracted many lustful glances. Raven black locks framed a strongly shaped face, the same pale skin held no blemishes to mar its perfection, and the once gangly teenage body had been tastefully molded into a lean frame.

He was absolutely perfect.

"No."

Except he didn't seem to think so.

Claude's heart clenched painfully at that single word, delivered in an acidic tone that boiled with defiance and hatred for all the creatures laid before the male- creatures he'd only just learnt existed. Yet instead of shying away from the tone, Claude found that it only served to fuel the fire of his desire for this being before him.

"Very well," their King sighed, his eyes mournful as he looked over the mortal. "It is a shame I'll have to destroy you for refusing my idiotic son."

Claude flinched at his father's, the King's, tone. It was laced with the disappointment for him having broken the laws of their people, the most ancient, the most binding of laws. By bringing a mortal to their dwellings, he'd proven he put his desires before the safety of their kind.

"Wait."

His head turned, along with every other head in the room, toward the large wooden doors at the entrance, where a woman of their kind stood proudly. The determined set of her brow compelled Claude to want to hear what this brave creature wanted to say as his father beckoned her to come forward. She did so, with her chin held high and indigo eyes gleaming scarlet for a singular moment, before flickering back to their dark blue. The woman paused before them, bowing her head politely before standing tall once more.

"Hannah," the King purred in a dangerous lit. "It has been a while since you have graced us with your presence."

"Too long, your highness," she stated softly.

The King's eyes hardened slightly as he looked over her. "What calls you here to disturb us after your decades of silence?"

Claude's eyes followed her movements as she moved towards the mortal man, the pang of jealousy was sharp when the she wrapped her lithe fingers around that smooth jaw to prop it upwards. Not a word was heard from her as her eyes swept across his face, taking in every hardened line as the male returned her look with a fierce glare.

"My King, I have a proposal."

Gasps rung across the room, echoing against the high vaulted ceilings and all the empty recesses. Claude's own silent reaction mixed with them as he watched her incline her head back towards his father and himself, regarding them with emotionless eyes.

"Give this mortal a chance to escape the fate sealed to him by your own son's foolish blunder. Allow him to choose a mortal of his choice and bring them to live with him for a full year. If the other does not lay eyes on his true face in that time then he shall be set free."

The idea that another would share the male did not please Claude and his lips curled back over his fangs to display his displeasure at the woman. An angry wave from his father forced him to collect himself, though his golden eyes still burned holes at the woman before them who dared to propose such a thing.

"And how is he supposed to interact with this other mortal if they cannot see his face?" The King mused.

She smiled softly, yet there was an indecipherable lit about it that spoke of ill intent. Their kind simply did not extend offers of kindness, there was always some form of gain for themselves. It made him weary of her intentions of coming forward with this offer. If any harm came to the other, Claude would not take mercy upon her. He'd rip her limb from limb, performing the task slowly. He'd draw out her torture for centuries before he would mercifully end her existence.

"A simple spell, your highness. During the day he shall bear the skin of an animal, free to move about the other mortal as he pleases, at night the face of a human is his to proudly boast while he sleeps besides the other."

"And if the mortal is to see?" The King pressed, curiosity swimming in his dark eyes.

"Then he shall be turned over to your son," she answered quickly, but with a briskness that suggested otherwise. "It gives both a fair chance, without having to waste life."

The King hummed thoughtfully as Claude's heart dared to clench hopefully. The mortal would fail if it was accepted. No mortals were known to be able to control their curiosity for very long. It would guarantee his win in the end. He would get what he desired and his heart soared high at the thought, though he dared not show it outwardly.

"If the mortal agrees to these condition I shall accept this preposition," the King finally announced to the awaiting crowd, before his eyes turned to the mortal kneeling on the ground before his throne. "What say you, mortal man? Do you wish to live or die here now?"

Ruby eyes danced with defiance; his answer obvious even before he allowed the words to pass his lips.

"I accept."

The woman smiled, her lips twisting upwards into a cruel grin. "Then you have a year once you make your choice. Until then, time is infinite for you."

His screams of pain filled the throne room.

"I suggest you choose wisely."


	2. Ch 1

**Chapter One**

"Do not touch me so easily," Ciel hissed. The young male glared daggers at the offender after promptly snatching his small hand away. Those cerulean eyes proved to be an effective weapon in the times of his fury. Quick and sharp, just like the soul lurking behind the impenetrably deep blue. So many had tried to unlock its secrets and yet no one had come even close achieving it.

And yet they still tried.

The newest stood before him. He was a man of considerable wealth and reputation in their country, a viscount- the Viscount Druitt. Talk of him among the women never ceased. Oh that golden hair! Oh those lovely lavender eyes! The charm, the charm! Women melted to putty around him, but Ciel found the man to be only idiotic. The so called charming speeches of undying affections grated on the young teen's nerves.

The Viscount might have fancied himself original with his romantic advances, but Ciel had heard it all before. Suitors had always come to charm him, hoping to catch the lovely Phantomhive's elusive heart. They ranged from the richest of Kings to the poorest of beggars, hoping to make him into a blushing bride or their whorish concubine- anything as long as he was theirs to claim.

"Ciel." His mother's voice was soft, but anyone who knew her well enough could detect the scolding edge. Ciel understood that it embarrassed his parents every time he turned another suitor away, but it angered him that they couldn't understand his reasoning. He didn't want what they had to offer, he could stand on his own and he was determined to prove that. He refused to be some person's beautiful doll. Lovely, but useless.

"Please forgive my son," Rachel pleaded with the Viscount. "He isn't usually this ill mannered."

Internally Ciel flinched at the words, but on the mask outside he remained as impassive as ever standing before the blonde haired idiot.

Druitt took up Rachel's hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it. "There is nothing to forgive, my lady. I'll bear every insult the beautiful Robin sings, for his voice is the most entrancing song there is."

A grimace tugged his full lips downwards just as the Viscount turned to him with sparkling eyes.

"My sweet, beautiful Robin, become my bride and let me bask in your beauty every waking moment," the noble cried. "Let me see that delicious indifferent mask slowly melt away to the coy being I know you to truly be. Tease and torment me to your heart's content!"

Ciel recoiled from the man as if he'd been physically pushed. Acidic words of rejection hung heavily on his tongue, ready to be set upon the idiot before him. He had half a mind on tearing the man's pride from him strip by strip before he delivered the ultimate blow to the man's frivolous dreams.

"He will." Ciel's father's voice tore the mask of indifference right from his face as his eyes widened and mouth fell open like a gaping fish. Vincent Phantomhive merely regarded his youngest son's shocked look with a firm stare that told him negotiations were not open for discussion.

Betrayal was the first emotion to break through his stupor. Thick and heavy, it landed like the weight of the world on his slim shoulders as the one person he thought would be on his side turned against him. Anger followed quickly after, seizing at his heart with a burning passion that had his hands curling into fists at his sides.

Druitt smiled broadly, looking every inch like he'd just won the Queen's greatest respect. "Wonderful, shall we discuss dates and of course payment?"

Payment...?

Ciel felt as if he'd been slapped. His parents weren't just forcing him into a relationship with the man. They were selling him off. The revelation twisted at his stomach and turned his face green. Ciel had never felt so sick in his entire life. How could the people who claimed they loved him, cared for him even, sell him!

Escape. His mind begged for that. He needed to flee the room and find someplace quiet where he could be alone and think. The urge to be somewhere other then where these people were dictated his actions, moving his body almost mechanically to the door. Step by step, until his fingers wrapped around the brass knob.

"Ciel!"

Rachel's cry brought him to a pause, but he didn't turn back. Didn't blink.

"Excuse me."

With the soft words spoken he fled, his legs bringing him further and further from his father's study. Further from those people. Further from his fate as the seventh child of the Phantomhive household. Never had there been a time when he loathed his heritage more than then. He wasn't daft like his older brother Alois, he knew what drew the attention to them. It was the gossip spread by lusting eyes. The Phantomhives, they said. Those beautiful children, they whispered. Each one more perfect than the next, they claimed.

Ciel cursed wordlessly at the cruel fate of it all.

The gentle murmur of a stream brought him to a final halt. The cool, clear water washed over the gray stones that made up the stream bed made for a very soothing atmosphere. While he wasn't one to be particularly fond of nature with his sensitive health, the sight was enough to wash away most of his anger. However if left behind the strong sting of betrayal and defeat in its departure.

Marriage, his nose crinkled at the thought. It wasn't that he was against the idea of it, but the mere thought of being tied to that man was repulsive. The Viscount was a complete creep and there was little doubt that he only had his eyes on Ciel because of the challenge he represented. He probably thought of it as a game to claim him, mock those who'd tried and failed before him. And he'd won, Ciel thought sourly.

He'd never be able to forgive his parents for this. They sold him off and for what? A few extra pounds and a comfortable home? Material items that meant nothing. Money would be stolen, cloth eaten, and mansions crumble. Nothing lasted forever and he would have believed his father would have known that considering how the Phantomhive name had fallen over the past decade. Their small, rundown country manor with limited staff and minuscule grounds was nothing but a shadow of what it once was. The only thing they had left was each other and they had certainly proved they didn't care much for that.

An angry sigh left his lips as he picked up a stone from besides him and weighted it in his hand before tossing it into the stream with a forceful throw. The stone landed with a loud plunk that was soon drowned out by the sound of the flowing water. For some reason this irritated him and he picked up a large one, throwing it as well. Each time he only became more frustrated until he was furiously chucking stone after stone into the cool water.

"Taking it out on the poor stream is only going to get you in trouble with the gods, Ciel," a cheerful voice giggled.

Ciel chucked one last stone, cerulean blue staring at it until it disappeared far beneath the water.

"I don't care about them," he snapped. "I never have."

"Tsk, tsk! Don't come crying to me when they take their wrath out on you- or worse- they send the demons after you."

Ciel turned to glare at the newcomer who settled himself down comfortably on a large boulder beside him. "Trust me, Alois, you'd be the last person I'd ever go to."

The older boy pouted, "Even after Lizzy?"

This caused a pause from Ciel, before the boy grunted. "Yes, even after her."

He wouldn't be happy about doing so, but his words were true. He'd take his annoyingly girlish sister over his brother if he had the choice. Elizabeth could be a headache, but Alois... he proved to be vexing. The idea that the two were born minutes apart was appalling. They were about as alike as night and day when their personalities were compared. Lizzy was sensitive and overly excitable, but she had a kind genuinely pure heart. Alois, he put up a good front, but beneath all those sugary coated flirts was a cruel and sadistic boy.

And he liked nothing more than to torment his younger brother.

Alois pitched his hip outward and placed a hand on it in a flourish. The movement caused Ciel's eyes to catch on his brother's waist where a hunting knife sat exposed in it's sheath. It brought a grimace to the younger male's face. He did not necessarily have a soft spot, or if he did Ciel was certainly not going to admit it, however the idea of killing for sport sickened him.

"This fiance, is he handsome?" The blonde boy asked, leaning forward slightly.

To anyone else he might have appeared innocently curious- Ciel however knew better. The younger rose an eyebrow, before clicking his tongue and roughly turning to face away from the blonde.

"Why ask a question like that?" He scoffed. "Of course not."

Alois snorted and leapt down from the boulder, landing besides the slender frame of the other. Wrapping a pale arm around the minuscule waist, he rested his chin on the younger's shoulder. Giggling, he smirked besides the other's ear.

"You're lying, Ciel. The Viscount doesn't have a reputation for nothing," Alois cooed.

Ciel scowled and tried, unsuccessful, to shrug the other off. "He's nothing more than a ostentatious idiot."

Alois grinned gleefully, "A _rich_ idiot."

The younger could only glare at his older brother, as the blonde danced away with a twisted smile on his face. There wasn't a thing in existence he wouldn't trade in order to wipe that look from the other's face.

"Don't you have something you should be doing?" Ciel snapped.

The older shrugged ruefully, his smirk unflinching despite the hostility the younger was displaying towards him. "I took a short break. Besides, I should be the one asking you that question. What are you doing so far out of property boundaries?"

Tilting his chin up, blue eyes flashed defiantly. "I am perfectly capable of being out by myself."

The blonde's eyes practically danced with mirth as he leaned close to the other once more. "Haven't you heard of the tales of demons coming and snatching wandering beauties up? You'll be stolen away if you aren't too careful, Ciel," Alois purred into the younger's face.

"They say there's one here in this very forest. Did you know that Ciel?" He laughed manically as Ciel's face fell into a skeptically scowl. "A great big raven with feathers blacker than coal and eyes redder than freshly spilled blood. They say he lures unsuspecting individuals in by pretending to have a lame wing. He doesn't kill them right away. Oh no, that wouldn't be fun at all. He leads them on a chase, until he gets them in a secluded place. Once alone he changes back to his true forms and by then it's too late. There's no place for them to run or hide as he sucks their very souls right from their lips."

The cobalt haired boy couldn't hide the chill that slipped down his spine as Alois backed him up against a boulder. Of course it wasn't the story that had him scared. He was smarter than to be frightened of a wise tale spread around by the gossiping peasants. The things he feared were of the rational world, not of folk lore and myths. Only the simple minded were naive enough to believe in such things.

"That's what I'm hunting today, dear brother," Alois stated smugly, gaining the younger's full attention. "The boys and I have been out since dawn hunting for the great raven. I saw it you know. It was larger than any bird I've ever seen before, the size of one of our hunting hounds."

Ciel snorted, lips pulled back in a mocking sneer. "So why haven't you shot it down to parade it around town like any of your other hunting prizes? I'm sure a bird of that size would make a lovely addition to your trophy wall."

Alois glowered, his blue eyes becoming shadowed by his frustrations. "Don't think I haven't tried, Ciel, but that damned bird won't come down. It truly is a devil."

Birds didn't just fly around with arrows stuck in their bodies, but Ciel didn't bother pointing this out to his brother. More than likely Alois had missed the shot and due to his reputation as a hunter, the younger wouldn't put it past the blonde to try and brush his failed attempts off as the prey being something other than a normal creature.

"As you say," Ciel snorted, brushing the other's arms away so he could escape his caged position. "But I'll only believe you if you actually manage to bring that thing to me."

Alois grinned at the other's back. "Is that a challenge?"

Ciel smirked over his shoulder. "Take it as you will. I'm going home."

"I'll prove it to you, Ciel! Just wait and see!" The blonde shouted after the retreating form of his brother.

Ciel rolled his eyes, before ducking under a low hanging branch. Alois would bring something home, no doubt, however Ciel wouldn't count it as anything other than the ordinary forest creatures. The older probably didn't know the difference between a raven and a songbird- a bird was a bird in the eyes of a hunter.

"Stupid brother," Ciel muttered into the quiet.

The sun was quickly dropping in the sky, falling behind Ciel and throwing his shadow across the path in front of him. It danced along the edge of the path, sometimes climbing up the trunk of a tree that strayed further into the pathway or bubbling along the uneven patches where the path would veer another direction. The way it skipped along those rough points seemed eerily similar to a figure slipping through the trees ahead- and there were times where Ciel found himself pausing to double check an area where he thought he had seen something move.

The boy mentally scolded himself when he caught himself examining the path behind him. He was being childish, there was nothing in these woods that was big enough to do any serious harm- Alois would know that. His older brother had never managed to track anything much bigger than a skittish doe in these woods. Bigger hunts were usually a day or so travels away.

Something cracked to his left and Ciel stumbled backwards, tripping over a protruding rock. He fell onto his back with a small oath, looking up just in time to see a gray dove take flight through the browning canopy.

A sigh left his lips, his racing heart easing, as he pulled himself into a sitting position. He looked down at himself and groaned. With today's luck he would just tear the warmer of his outer coats. The newly made hole in his sleeve glared at him mockingly, its edges already fraying about the elbow. His mother would be cross with him if she found out.

That was if she wasn't too busy with the news of his imminent marriage to notice.

Ciel scowled, his brief exchange with Alois had pushed the news to the back of his mind. The idea of coming across a demon wasn't as unappealing as it had sounded before. Even if he didn't believe in it, having his soul sucked away by that thing didn't sound nearly as terrible as being chained to that man for the rest of his life. The next few days would be a sore reminder of what his future would hold. His mother and sisters would surely be using the Viscount's wealth to make him their life sized doll. They'd dress him up, force him to endure hours of being poked and prodded at a tailors, and then have him sit through their plans of the week long festivities that were tradition. Closing his eyes, Ciel tried unsuccessful to rid the images of his wedding celebrations from his mind.

A twig snapped nearby, causing cerulean eyes to fly open. Two ruby orbs peered at him from across the path, underneath a fallen log. The raven cocked its head at the boy, hopping forward and out of the shadows so that the remaining light fell on its coal black feathers. Ciel's eyes widened as the bird came within two feet of him. It was larger than the expectancy for the species- large enough that if Ciel stood its head would likely stand level with his waist. It took a moment longer for the boy to realize the raven was handling one wing with more care than the other.

_"A great big raven with feathers blacker than coal and eyes redder than freshly spilled blood. They say he lures unsuspecting individuals in by pretending to have a lame wing..."_ Alois's voice from earlier reminded him.

Ciel quickly scrambled backwards, his back colliding with a tree trunk on the opposite side of the path. Chest heaving and eyes wide, he watched the raven carefully as it angled its head to the right as if questioning his actions. Ciel himself began to relax, as he saw that the thing didn't come any closer.

"Stupid," he grumbled to himself. "It's just a wise tale."

The bird let out a caw, that startled the boy. It hopped backwards, ruffling it's feathers. The movement brought the attention to the arrow sticking out of it's lame wing. The fletching was made of downy white feathers dyed bright gold at the tips. Ciel recognized immediately who the arrow belonged.

"So you're the one Alois has been after all day," the boy mused aloud, staring at the raven and the arrow.

The bird let out a soft caw as if agreeing.

Ciel shook his head, staring at the arrow and debating if he dared attempt to remove it. If he did and were Alois ever to find out, the boy would be completely put out with him. Ciel smirked at the face his older sibling would make, perhaps the effort to remove it would be worth it- after all it wasn't any fun hunting an injured creature.

Smirking to himself, Ciel carefully inched forward, feeling the intent gaze of the raven on him as he moved closer. The boy held out his hands to the bird trying to show that he meant no harm to it. He really had no idea how to handle animals or how to least likely scare them off. Ciel had seen some of the younger girls in town approach a spooked work horse in much the same manner and he hoped the same technique would apply with the bird before him.

Strangely the raven remained completely still, its large ruby orbs remaining locked on Ciel's face. Said boy tried to ignore the fact that they didn't seem as blank as most animals and that they eerily seemed to display human emotions behind those red irises.

"Easy," Ciel cooed, feeling incredibly ridiculous for talking to a bird. "I'm just going to remove this."

As if the raven understood him, it held out the wing with the arrow to him. Ciel's eyes widened, but he quickly shook his head and focused on the task at hand. Wincing he grab the shaft and gave it a quick tug, sighing in relief when it slipped free. The raven let out a caw and flapped its wings, lifting off only to come and rest in a branch above Ciel's head.

The boy stared up at it and then back down at the arrow. Smirking, he pocketed the arrow. He'd tell Alois that he found it laying on the trail. The other would probably blame it on the raven being something other than what it appeared to be: just another bird. It'd be entertaining to see how long he went on believing in the wise tale before he eventually found out the truth.

With the arrow tucked away in his coat, Ciel prepared himself to face the scolding his father was sure to give him for running out earlier. It was sure to be a long night.

_- XxxX -_

The raven watched as the boy disappeared into the country manor besides the forest lines. The wound in its wing had already healed over, the tingle of magic faint but not nearly as noticeable as it had first had been. Years had given it time to adjust to the sensation of the instant healing. They had made it impossible for it to die no matter the extent of the wound and time didn't couldn't touch it.

Still the visions of the annoying blonde hunter played behind the raven's eyes. The human hunter hadn't known when to give up and had it flying half the day with the arrow stuck in its wing- the persistent little bastard. However it had something to thank the blonde for. The arrow brought the raven to the cobalt haired beauty with those endless blue eyes. So much loveliness wrapped up in such serious creature. There was something different about the boy; something that drew the raven to him. Unlike the hundreds of other beauties and humans it had visited, he was different. Different enough to bring this to an end? The raven was willing to gamble on it.

With a caw, it took flight.

_Soon._

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_**A/N: **__Dumb ass me, should have warned you last chapter that this is story is unbetaed. To be honest I don't know how that works, so any of you lovelies want to fill me in I'd be beyond grateful. _

_On other news I'll be at a con all this weekend- they even have a few fan fiction writing panels (and contest) so who knows I may break away from my crazy ass friends and sneak into them to write some shit. Should be fun, but that means no updates if I don't get the next chapter done by Thursday evening- the hotel is run by a bunch of assholes who want you to pay $10 a day for their internet. Those good o'days when hotels had free wi-fi? Where have thee gone~? _


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